CULTURE — Restaurant in Dayton

Finally had an opportunity to eat here the other night. I was just... Okay. Not bad - Not by a mile. But not spectacular.

I had the Shrimp Po' Boy with chips, and my wife had the Lion's Mane Sandwich with Fries - Water to drink for both.

The Shrimp Po' Boy was tasty, but difficult to eat. the bun is about 8-9" long, thin, and stuffed full. I'll never complain about an overstuffed sandwich - Easy way to show customers they are getting what they paid for. But the bun was slim and flimsy. Seemed like the wrong vehicle for the Po' Boy stuffings. I struggled to pick this thing up and eat it. When I go out to eat, I want to actually enjoy my food - Not feel like I'm participating in an escape room sub-challenge. Again, taste was good - But the struggle was real.

My wife said the Lion's Mane sandwich was... just okay. It wasn't - In her view - Anything special. But the fries were the challenge here. Nowhere on the menu that we could see was an understanding that their fries have a cajun seasoning on them. I mean, everyone understands what "French Fries" mean. They aren't expected to be "doctored" beyond Salt and Pepper. If you doctor them, then you generally call them "Seasoned Fries", or some other label to indicate to the customer, "Hey - We do a little extra to our fries". No, on the menu it just said, "You can swap out the chips for fries for $3". That's it. They came out, with their cajun seasoning mixed with some weird sweet component in there. They... weren't what was expected. Kinda put her off for her entire meal.

I think if the fry fiasco hadn't happened, this is a 4-star review. Sure, we both had our separate issues with our meal, but we ate the entree component. We didn't feel like we were served something inedible. It just wasn't fantastic.

Now - In hindsight, I should have gone with the drip burger. I see on Social Media everyone talking about this thing - Maybe I would have enjoyed that more than my Po' Boy - But man - I was really wanting a Po' Boy, so I bucked the trend and ordered what I was drawn to.

Will we go back? No deliberately. If we're in the area, and we want food, sure - We will consider them along with other area establishments. But to make a special trip to that area just to eat here? That's a hard "no". But if we find ourselves there again, we are a bit wiser and know what to expect, and definitely not getting the fries.

And before anything suggests that I should have cut my sandwich in half - I would have loved to if I had been able to find a knife. Only forks at the table, and it just wasn't worth butchering my...

Food - Amazing!

Staff - The owner was great!

A gentleman working the register made a comment about those with me not tipping as the option was not available when paying with CC. Told me to tell this to them so they would tip and if they needed cash they could go to the ATM close by to get money for the tip. I didn’t tell them as that wasn’t my place and it made me feel super uncomfortable.

Same gentleman became short when I asked if the food I had ordered for someone whom was housing insecure could be given to them when done. He told me they would be too busy. This was the first time that this has ever happened to me at an establishment so I way taken back.

I asked another patron if she was okay with passing the already purchased food to him and she said she was okay and I informed her that he knew he was receiving the food and would be waiting outside on the bench.

I told the gentleman behind the register about the change and he rolled his eyes at this. I never got a text about the food being done (a drip burger/fries/water) which cost me a little over 20 dollars. Which I should of gotten since I put my number in to get the notification.

At the end of the day that’s neither here nor there and I hope this person got their food that was paid for despite the feelings of the individual working behind the register.

The food here is amazing, but if that is the interaction you have when first eating at an establishment then it can honestly overshadow just how good...

Ah yes, yet another disappointing culinary illusion brought to you by the ever-overhyped Chef Dane. This place survives not by merit, but by default, riding a wave of empty hype and the sad fact that there’s little else in the food scene to challenge it..

We tried the nachos, wings, burgers, collard greens, mac, jerk chicken, and bourbon chicken. Not a single dish stood out, unless you count “bland” and “forgettable” as a theme. It’s giving street food cosplay, but without any flavor, soul, or spice. Imagine “jack of all trades” but instead of “master of none,” it’s more like “apprentice of mediocrity.”

And as if the food wasn’t enough of a letdown, the front-of-house service came with a complimentary attitude problem. The cashier had the charm of a DMV printer jam — unhelpful, cold, and oddly aggressive. We came with a group of more than 4 for dinner; apparently that is a crime. We have had warmer greetings from TSA.

To top it off? Prices that belong in a fine dining menu — if only the food knew that. If you’re going to charge like a big-league player, maybe don’t keep showing up with Little League energy. Save your money.

Overrated...